'Kelly,' a Blue and Gold Macaw, flies through the gymnasium at Stone Elementary School, in Saginaw, during the 'Live on Stage, The Rain Forest' presentation in this file photo.MLive file photo

The following is a letter to the editor that was sent to the Kalamazoo Gazette.

KALEB EDSON/Mattawan

People use paper. It’s just something we do, but why when we have technology that can send us reminders? We are running out of trees. Over half of the world’s trees have been cut down. I think we need to stop deforestation. Deforestation is the removal of a forest. Now this is happening all around the world and I have a way to stop it.

Trees are important because they produce oxygen and we need oxygen to live. If all the trees get cut down, all the other plants in the world will not be able to produce enough oxygen for us and it will be really hard to breath. Now let’s move on to how you are contributing to the issue. Did you know that lots of companies are cutting down trees not just one tree but whole forest? It is not just trees that are dying, it is animals too, according to worldwildlife.org. How would you feel if we came and burned your house down? For animals it’s not like they can just go and live in another tree, because whole forest had been ripped apart. Now there is a way to stop the problem, and all you have to do is use less paper. Do your activities online instead, because we are running out of trees. Just remember you can make a difference.

MADELINE GOODWILL/Kalamazoo

Everyone knows that deforestation is bad. (If they don’t, then the Earth is in trouble.) But many people don’t know why exactly it’s bad, or what they can do to really help.

I’m going to start by explaining what deforestation is. The nicer definition is: Clearing an area of trees. But if you don’t feel like being nice then you would probably say something like: Deforestation is the stripping a beautiful area of all its beauty. Tearing down living creatures for things like toothpicks. It is the cause of problems such as: global warming, erosion, air pollution, water pollution and homelessness (for animals).

You’re probably sitting back thinking, “Well, I don’t even use toothpicks, so I’m not the problem.” And my response to that would be: “Have you ever thrown paper away without recycling it? You ever print two pieces of paper accidentally and just tossed the extra? You ever smother a sandwich in toothpicks just to be cool? Then you’re part of the problem.”

Here’s some stuff right off the bat. You can: Print on both sides. Recycle printing mistakes. Use fewer toothpicks. I know, know. I’ve totally overwhelmed you with world-saving techniques. Did you know that it takes 22 trees to provide enough oxygen for just one person? I’m pretty sure the government doesn’t want to have to pass around oxygen masks because we cut down too many trees. So, just be a hero and save the world. That one piece of paper could make the difference.

REMINGTON
SULLIVAN/Mattawan

Did
you know 70 percent of anticancer medicines come from the Amazon rainforest, and
the very same rainforest is getting 80,000 acres chopped down every day.
Deforestation must be stopped because the forest took hundreds of years to
grow. There are many endangered plants and animals in there. The Amazon
rainforest is the largest producer of oxygen on the planet.

The
definition of deforestation is clear-cutting every single tree in an area,
which is the typical technique used by loggers. Or, people burn it all in a
technique used primarily by cattle ranchers. If not controlled properly, the
fire consumes much more land than intended.

If we
lose the Amazon, the human race is at much greater risk for going extinct.
About 25 percent of our medicine comes from the Amazon. There would also be
food shortages because a lot of our fruit and vegetables are grown in the Amazon.
Certain species that can be found nowhere else will go extinct. Loggers have
initiated a new practice called reforestation. Reforestation is when a logger
cuts down a tree they must replace the same amount of trees they cut down.
Unfortunately, cattle ranchers who use the burning technique don't do
this.

The
Brazilian government has added 100,000 more square miles of protected land in
the past year. And, usually, in zoos they have donation areas where you can
place spare change to save an animal or entire biomes. The United States put
the Lacey in place banning the buying and selling of wood that came from
protected land.

NICK DILL/Mattawan

I think that deforestation is a bad thing and people should know more about it. Deforestation is the clearing of trees and it is a bad thing. Did you know that 30 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered in trees and that it is diminishing daily? Every second, 1.5 acres of rain forests are destroyed. Deforestation is a bad thing, because it lowers oxygen levels, it kills innocent animals, and it disrupts the water cycle.

Why should we be concerned? We should be concerned because by cutting down all of those trees it lowers are oxygen amount, also think about all of those innocent bugs and animals dying because of us. About 70 percent of animals have something to do with trees. How are people contributing to the issue? People don't plant a tree after cutting down one. People cut down every tree to build a neighborhood or a city. I think we should help out and plant some trees. There are some easy things you can do to help, like plant a tree or two a year and, try to always use both sides to a piece of paper. Just by doing these simple steps, we can help out a lot.

NICHOLAS HUSTON/Mattawan

We need to help stop deforestation, because trees help give us oxygen. Without trees, we would not have a lot in life and our earth would be boring. Every minute speak more and more trees are being cut down. Deforestation affects humans and wildlife, because it reduces living space and they are in danger of becoming extinct. Deforestation is the state of being clear of all trees.

Large amounts of forests everyday are being cut down. They are being destroyed at double the rate of two years ago. Deforestation is the second largest world environmental issue in the world. About 75 percent of logging companies don't care or replant trees.

People should be concerned, because trees help us give oxygen and helps us breath. If we did not have trees, we would not have a lot of things in life because wood was made into toys and homes for families. We can reduce or solve this problem by having a day every year at school to just go in a forest and plant more trees as a school.

ALYSHA STRASSER/Kalamazoo

Deforestation is a horrible problem. And Kalamazoo isn’t making it any better. The more trees we cut down, the worst are environment becomes. Deforestation is important because it’s wasting resources and ruining our environment. Tt needs to be stopped as soon as possible.

Deforestation is the state of being clear of trees. This happened to Kalamazoo because we are greedy and also because our population is growing. It’s also happening because we can get rich off of it, a 300-year-old hardwood tree is worth $2,000. It helps the economy to make more money to make more companies and stores. To reduce this problem we can 1: Grow more trees 2: Go paperless. 3: Recycle and buy recycled products. 4: Eat vegetarian meals as often as possible.

We definitely should be concerned about this problem because cutting down trees is ruining our wildlife habitats. It can result in the death of animals and therefore a loss of biodiversity. Many medicines and future medicines come from plants from the wild, and if we keep cutting down trees we won’t be able to make new medicine. Trees give us paper, but if we used computers, we wouldn’t need trees to be cut down so we could get paper made.

MITCHELL DAWSON/Mattawan

I am writing to you on behalf of all the trees in Kalamazoo. They don’t like all the new homes and subdivisions. I am writing to you about deforestation, deforestation is important because Michigan is one of the states with the most deforestation. In case you don’t know what deforestation is, deforestation is the large removal of trees usually in coniferous, temperate, or tropical rainforests.

Kalamazoo is contributing to this problem because there are a lot of houses being built and land being bought, and to make a house on land you have to get rid of trees.

We should be very concerned about our trees, because only about 22 percent of the world’s forests are intact and the majority of forests will disappear in 100 years. Without all these trees, countless animals will die and we will too because trees provide oxygen. Without them, we can’t live. Some ways to help fix this problem are to replant trees or to restrict cutting down trees in certain areas. We need to take a stand against deforestation for the trees — in the long run for us and the Earth.

MATT HUMMEL/Mattawan

Deforestation is a growing problem in the information age. Due to a need for paper, timber, and other wood products, only 30 percent of our world’s forests remain. In the last 30 years, half of Earth’s rainforests have been scrunched under the weight of this problem. So, what is causing this? The answer lies in the life of a businessman. The average person uses 2 pounds of paper everyday. This is causing natural disasters from the destruction of trees.

Trees are a necessity in our modern age and are taken for granted by many. Trees are a major producer of rain, because of transpiration. Transpiration is the process in which trees release excess water vapor through tiny holes known as stomata. This water vapor rises into the air to form clouds. Climate changes like these can be caused by deforestation, and lead to deadly results. Forests, the size of Panama, are lost every year to deforestation, and could be easily replaced. Unfortunately, logging companies are not required to plant any trees where the old trees stood.

Farmland and all soil in general are at risk of being lost at the mark of deforestation. Forest trees stop rain from running down hills, and slopes. Without that, underground water sources like wells will stop refilling. This is because trees block water from running off, so it sinks into the ground until it meets underground water sources. We need to help prevent deforestation because trees create needed rain, farmland depends of trees, and deforestation is a leading cause of deadly climate changes.

JOEY HILLRING/Mattawan

Imagine going back to the place where you grew up, where there was a large forest filled with animals and other living organisms that provide oxygen, and it was all cut down for housing or farming.

Deforestation is a major problem/environmental issue and needs to be stopped, because it’s a contributor to global warming, it can cause the greenhouse effect, and can cause carbon dioxide to linger in the atmosphere. Trees take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen in order for us humans to breathe. But if we go and cut down a tree all of the carbon dioxide will release into the air leading to the greenhouse effect and eventually global warming.

What we can do to reduce or solve the problem is to ride a bike or walk instead of driving. You will be reducing pollution and carbon dioxide emissions and therefore helping to combat global warming. People are contributing to this problem by cutting down a large amount of trees for housing and farming, and they don’t realize what they’re doing to the Earth. I say whenever someone cuts down a tree that they right away plant a new to reduce deforestation.

BRAD BUTLER/Mattawan

Four billion is the number of trees that are cut down in on year around the world. There is only one plus about cutting down trees. That plus is it makes paper. But that is it. Everything else about cutting down trees is bad.

For example: The reason why people cut down trees for the most part is to make money. People can make anywhere between $800-$1,600 for just for one tree. Also if we have fewer trees, the air will be full of bacteria. In some places, with deforestation people get burning of the eyes, trouble breathing and other lung problems. What we could do is only let them cut down certain trees r ones that people want removed.